Latest Technology News

Microsoft’s new Your Phone app lets you sync content directly from a phone to a Windows 10 PC. The original release, which was first available just for Windows 10 Insiders, then -- accidentally -- for all, and then for Insiders once more, only allowed Android users to access their phone’s photos on Windows 10, but it’s now been updated to make it much more useful.

Released as part of the new Fast ring Insider Build 17755, the updated app lets you do much more, and there is finally some love for iOS users too.

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Linux Mint is a rather great operating system. The distribution is based on the fabulous Ubuntu, so it is very stable and has plenty of compatible packages. Not to mention, the Mint developers focus heavily on the user experience. Linux Mint isn't just designed for Linux experts (although they can totally use it), but beginners too -- it is easy to start using straight away.

The developers have a long history of using female names as the code name for each version of the operating system. For instance, in the past, they have used "Tara," "Sylvia," and "Sonya," to name a few. Today, we learn the female name assigned to the upcoming Linux Mint 19.1 -- "Tessa."

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We’re getting ever close to the end game for the next big feature update for Windows 10. Redstone 5, or the October 2018 Update to give it its official name, is nearly done and the Insider updates still rolling out now are mostly focused on fixing problems.

Build 17755 corrects some issues with the OS, but also makes big improvements to the Your Phone app.

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It seems like mere moments since an updated version of Tor for the desktop was released, and now there's great news for owners of Android smartphones. The Tor Project has released an Android version of the Tor browser, and it's available to download either directly from its website, or from Google Play.

Currently in alpha -- so expect there to be a few issues -- this is the only mobile Tor browser that's supported by the Tor Project, and the developers promise that it will block trackers, protect against surveillance and ensure privacy.

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A highly popular anti-adware tool in the Mac App Store "surreptitiously steals your browsing history", alleges a security researcher. "All your data are belong to China!", as he puts it.

Patrick Wardle conducted research into Adware Doctor -- one of the most popular paid-for apps in the App Store -- after concerns were raised by another security researcher. His research "uncovered blatant violations of user privacy and complete disregard of Apple's App Store Guidelines", including the theft and sharing of browsing history with a Chinese server.

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Industry increasingly relies on automated systems for the control of processes, but a new report from Kaspersky Lab shows that 41.2 percent of industrial control systems (ICS) computers were attacked by malicious software at least once in the first half of this year.

Based on analysis of systems protected by Kaspersky Lab solutions, the data shows that in 2017, the percentage of ICS computers attacked was 36.61 in the first half of the year and 37.75 in the second half.

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UL -- the company behind benchmarking software 3DMark -- has delisted a number of Huawei phones after the Chinese handset manufacturer was found to be cheating in benchmarks.

As has been the case with handsets from some other manufacturers, the Huawei P20, P20 Pro, Nova 3 and Honor Play were found to increase performance when benchmarking software is running. Interestingly, Huawei has not denied the accusations leveled at it.

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Who do you trust in 2018? We often get asked for our security recommendations and it’s a struggle to come up with a definitive answer. We won’t go in to detail in public, but there are reasons why we might avoid recommending a well-known security suite and it’s not just due to recent issues involving potential backdoors either.

There is a general consensus that you can trust solid German engineering (VW/Audi issues emissions issues aside) and this same theory should apply to security software. You know your data is secure, your privacy intact and it will perform a solid job looking after your PC.

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Two-hundred-and-ninety-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.

Microsoft confirmed last week that it will call the next feature update for Windows 10 the October 2018 Update (even though it may land in September). The company used a seasonal naming scheme previously for which it was criticized.

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Apple is looking to make it easier for law enforcement agencies to request user data and is working on an online tool to help facilitate this.

A letter seen by Reuters shows that Apple is not only developing a data request tool, but also planning to train police about the data that it can and cannot provide. A new online system will make it easier and quicker to track data requests, and would be far more efficient than the current method of communication -- email.

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Enterprises often adopt containers as a way to save money. But they can end up spending time, resources and cash building their own container management framework and in the process getting away from their core business objectives.

We spoke to Kieron Sambrook-Smith, chief commercial officer at cloud application specialist Platform.sh, to discuss why enterprises tend to lose sight of business goals in order to manage containers, and the strategies they can implement to stop distracting their developers from doing what they do best, writing code.

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British Airways has fallen victim to what it describes as a "very sophisticated" attack in which hackers stole financial data relating to hundreds of thousands of customers.

The airline revealed that hackers gained access to its systems and managed to remain undetected for two weeks. The theft of data took place between August 21 and September 5 and the attackers managed to compromise both the ba.com web site and the airline's mobile app.

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Fueling the right-wing conspiracy theorist's view that the world is out to get him, Twitter has followed the lead of other social media companies and banned Alex Jones from its platform.

With his output dubbed "hate content", Jones found himself removed from Spotify, Facebook and iTunes, but Twitter's Jack Dorsey previously refused to follow suit saying that the Infowars frontman "hasn't violated our rules", insisting that his company enforces its rules "impartially, regardless of political viewpoints". But after Jones posted videos earlier this week that violated Twitter's policy on abusive content, he has been permanently banned.

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Thunderbolt 3 docks can be quite amazing. I recently reviewed such a dock made by StarTech and came away very impressed. That dock can transform a MacBook Pro or Windows 10 laptop into a desktop. It is designed to be kept at home or in the office -- stationary on a desk.

But what if you want a Thunderbolt 3 dock for when you are on the go? If you have a MacBook Pro, for instance, that isn't so crazy. Since you only have USB-C ports, a portable dock can be a great way to expand connectivity without carrying multiple dongles. In fact, there are already some portable TB3 docks on the market, Today, Elgato (a company recently acquired by CORSAIR) unveils its latest such product -- Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock.

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Locking and unlocking doors with a key is so last century. Smart locks are the future, but they can often be a little pricey.

If you’ve been thinking of getting a smart lock for your home or office, but have been put off by the price, we have sizable savings on two great products -- the Yale Real Living Assure Lock SL HomeKit Enabled Key Free Touchscreen Deadbolt, and the August Smart Lock Pro + Connect, from Wellbots.

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